Echinacea plant named ‘TNECHPR’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Echinacea plant named ‘TNECHPR’ is provided herein, characterized by red ray florets, an amazing number of inflorescences starting in the first season, a very compact habit, very long bloom time with excellent rebloom, ray florets held horizontally, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea spp.

Variety designation: ‘TNECHPR’.

Trademark designation: Prima™ Ruby.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘TNECHPR’. Echinacea is in thefamily Asteraceae. The new cultivar is part of a planned breedingprogram for a landscape series with very compact habits and profuseinflorescences. The exact parents of this selection are unknown,unnamed, proprietary interspecific hybrids bred from Echinacea paradoxa,Echinacea purpurea, and Echinacea tennesseensis.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Balsomsed’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,105, the newcultivar is shorter and has inflorescences that are larger.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Dixie Scarlet’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,110, thenew cultivar is shorter with more ray florets that are a deeper redcolor.

Compared to Echinacea ‘TNECHKR’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 28,768, the newcultivar is shorter.

This new Echinacea cultivar is uniquely distinguished by:

-   -   1. red ray florets,    -   2. an amazing number of inflorescences starting in the first        season,    -   3. a very compact habit,    -   4. very long bloom time with excellent rebloom,    -   5. ray florets held horizontally, and    -   6. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a two-year-old Echinacea ‘TNECHPR’ growing in the trialfield in full sun in early September in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of 9-month-old specimens growing in the trialfield in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDAHardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to anaverage of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inchesper year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions areall based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th)edition, 2007.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to 36 cm wide and 40 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—Basal clump, with 1 to 8 stems from the base.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 10 cm long and 3 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire to sparsely serrate.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, Yellow Green 145C on both sides.        -   Color.—Topside Green N137B, bottom side closest to Yellow            Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—Clasping, grows to 5 cm long and 3 mm            wide, scabrous, narrow leafy edges which fold upwards,            Yellow Green 146C.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 36 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal inflorescence and can grow to 13 cm            long from the top stem leaf to the base of an inflorescence;            unbranched to branched, with 1 to 5 inflorescences per stem;            diameter growing to 6 mm wide near the inflorescence;            strigose; Yellow Green 146C in shade and tinted Greyed            Purple 187B in sun.        -   Size.—Grows to 10 cm wide and 7 cm deep as disc enlarges.        -   Form.—Ray florets held horizontally, curving down in old            inflorescences, mature disc is conic.        -   Immature inflorescence (bud).—3.5 cm wide and 2 cm deep, ray            florets held upright at 30 degree angle and rolled up so            only the back color shows, Red Purple 60A, disc color Greyed            Purple 187A.        -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, 29 to 37 in number,            grow to 42 mm long and 10 mm wide, oblanceolate with the tip            two-toothed (each acute), entire margins, base attenuate,            glabrous on both sides; fully open florets topside Red 46A,            bottom side Red 38B with streaks of Greyed Purple 185B;            florets fade gradually to both sides Greyed Purple 185A with            Greyed Orange 175B at base.        -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, becoming 38 mm deep and 40 mm            wide with maturity, Greyed Purple N186B.        -   Disc florets.—About 400 in number, each with 1 pistil and 4            stamen, grow to 10 mm long and 2 mm wide, each with one            persistent, very stiff linear bract (15 mm long with the top            1 mm Greyed Purple N186B, blending to 3 mm Greyed Purple            187A, blending to 3 mm Green 137A blending to White NN155A            on bottom); corolla 7.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, tubular, 5            lobed, glabrous, Greyed Purple N186C on tips blending to            Yellow Green 147B at base; pistil 11 mm long, ovary 3 mm            long, White NN155D with top Yellow Green 144A, style 7 mm            long Yellow Green 149D, 2-branched stigma spreading 2.5 mm            wide, Greyed Purple 187B; stamen 6 mm long, filaments 2 mm            long and White NN155B, anthers 4 mm long and Greyed Purple            N186A, pollen, moderate, Yellow Orange 19A.        -   Involucral bracts.—In 4 leafy series, area grows to 32 mm            wide and 5 mm deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, reflexed and            curl back, grow to 13 mm long and 3 mm wide, Green N137A,            margins strigose, tip acute, strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—Grows to 10 mm wide and 20 mm deep, White            NN155B.        -   Bloom period.—June through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Slight.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.-   Seeds: 3 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, oval, Brown 200C.    -   -   Fertility.—Poor.-   Disease and pests: No pests or diseases have been observed on plants    grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg. No resistances are    known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.